The girl’s family alleged that the man entered their house in the early hours of Sunday when they were asleep and tried to rape her. (Representational)A 21-YEAR-OLD man was allegedly assaulted, paraded half-naked with his head tonsured and face blackened in a Prayagraj village after he allegedly entered a residence in his neighbourhood and attempted to rape a minor girl. The man, who is married and has two children, and the girl belong to different communities. The incident took place on Sunday.
While the accused was arrested and sent to jail after being produced before the court on Monday, his family refused to lodge a complaint into the alleged assault and the harassment by the villagers, the police claimed.
The SHO of the police station concerned said the girl’s family alleged that the man entered their house in the early hours of Sunday when they were asleep and tried to rape her. As she raised an alarm, the family members woke up and nabbed him. Local residents also gathered there, the SHO added.
“The youth’s head was tonsured when he was brought to the police station. We heard that he was assaulted and paraded in the village. The villagers had removed the black ink that was probably smeared on his face. He had suffered injuries, too. We were not informed by the girl’s family about the incident soon after the accused was caught as the youth was brought to the police station by the villagers,” said the SHO.
The SHO said policemen went to the family of the accused too and asked them if they wanted to lodge a complaint for the alleged assault and harassment. “They refused to lodge a complaint,” he claimed.
We have registered a case against the accused under IPC sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) 376/ 511 (rape, punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment) and under relevant sections of POCSO,” said the officer.
He added that the victim was sent for medical examination.
